Fisayo Soyombo: Nigerian Army Frees FIJ Founder, but this is not his first arrest

The arrest, detention and release of Investigative Journalist Fisayo Soyombo making rounds is not the first time he will be behind bars. 

On November 29, 2024, news of Soyombo’s arrest and detention by the Nigerian Army made headlines, with many Nigerians calling for his release. 

Responding, the Nigerian Army, through its Acting Deputy Director of Public Relations at the 6 Division, Danjuma Danjuma,  confirmed the incident, clarifying the reasons for his arrest and detention for 3 days by the 6 Division of the Army. 

According to Danjuma, the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) founder was arrested alongside oil bunker criminals in Port Harcourt following an intelligence report. Refuting claims that Soyombo was unlawfully arrested and detained. 

Fisayo Soyombo was later released after calls from Nigerians, media outlets and other stakeholders demanding his release. However, this is not the first time Soyombo has been arrested, detained, and later regained his freedom. 

In a rather surprising story,  Fisayo Soyombo planned his arrest and detention to do what he knows how to do best —— investigate crimes and uncover truths, a vision he said birthed the Foundation for Investigative Journalism. 

On Monday, July 8, Fisayo was arrested by the Nigeria Police for refusing to pay the balance of the N2.8 million car he purchased in November 2018. He paid an N300,000 initial deposit and ghosted the seller for 7 months before his arrest. 

Fisayo Soyombo, who did this to get into the Nigeria Prison Cell, had grown his hair, tinted it in gold to fit into the profile “of the kind of youth the Police indiscriminately railroad into their notoriously ramshackle vans for no reason, for onward transfer to their cells”, he said. 

Taking the pseudonym Oho Olajumoke, Soyombo spent two weeks in detention —— five in a police cell and another eight in Ikoyi prison as an inmate to uncover corruption in the criminal justice system. 

He later regained his freedom, and just soon after that, he was detained again on December 13, 2021, on the orders of the former Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, for the story he published on his experiences in the Nigeria police cell. 

Following the publication of the story, he titled, "UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION (I): Bribery, bail for sale… Lagos police station where innocent civilians are held, and criminals are recycled”, Soyombo was invited by the Nigeria police, which he honoured, but he was detained and granted bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum after spending 8 hours in police custody.